Holy Tuesday?

Here we are in the Holy Week, but the more I think about it, we Evangelicals should probably refer to it simply as the Holy Weekend. The focus, for our community at least, is on Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. We don't celebrate Maundy Thursday, but even if we did it would just be a long holy weekend. I've been thinking...what was happening on Holy Tuesday - at least liturgically speaking. That is, if we were to have a Holy Tuesday service, what would it look like? What would be the center of our thought and worship if we were to gather today?

Many Greek Orthodox brothers and sisters do gather to worship today. It seems that they focus on the bride and bridegroom images and the events that happened in and around Jerusalem leading up to the "passover" meal, trial, and crucifixion of Christ. The witness of Scripture has much to say about this final week. In fact, in the Gospel according to John, the witness spends almost half of this long Gospel on the events of this week.

What took place on Holy Tuesday? Well that is somewhat difficult to determine since the biblical audience wasn't quite as concerned with chronology as we tend to be, at the very least they thought about time in a different way. Maybe it was the day that Jesus got down on His divine knees and washed the disciples feet? In that final week...knowing that the tension and opposition was building, our exemplar gives us an example. If we were having a Holy Tuesday service, that would be my text.

"Do you know what I have done to you?" That is Jesus question and I usually find myself with the disciples, scratching my head and saying, "What did you do, Lord?"

"You call me Teacher and Lord - and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you."

Lord make us faithful on this Holy Tuesday to follow your example and wash each other's feet.